Naperville Riverwalk bridge to get temporary fix
A bridge along the Naperville Riverwalk between the Millennium Carillon Visitor Center and Centennial Beach is out of commission, but officials said Wednesday they aim to have it back open in time for the annual Last Fling festival over Labor Day.
The uncovered metal bridge with a wooden walkway and railings was scheduled for regular maintenance this summer. Replacement of the wooden planks was expected to take about two days, said Chuck Papanos of the Naperville Park District, who manages park operations for north parks and the Riverwalk.
But when crews removed the 5-year-old planks for replacement, they noticed some structural issues with the metal supports that hold up the planks, Papanos said.
Park district and Riverwalk officials said Wednesday they are determining the best long-term fix for the structural issues, but a temporary solution will be installed this month.
Pedestrians should be able to access the bridge by Labor Day, but Riverwalk Commission Chairman Jeff Havel said posts will be added to prevent vehicles from crossing there. Park district maintenance trucks are the only vehicles that usually drive across the bridge, which was built in the late 1980s or early 1990s and spans the west branch of the DuPage River west of downtown Naperville.
Cost estimates for the bridge work have not yet been determined.